“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus
into the common hall,30913091 Greek, “Prætorium;” comp. Mark xv. 16, A.V.—R.]and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers; and they stripped
Him, and put on Him a purple robe; and when they had platted a crown of
thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they
bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying, Hail, king of the
Jews.”30923092 [The Greek text, as given by Field, agrees
throughout with the received.—R.]

As though on some signal the
devil then was entering in triumph30933093ἐχρευεν.into all. For, be it that Jews pining with envy and jealousy were mad
against Him, as to the soldiers, whence was it, and from what sort of
cause? Is it not clear that it was the devil who was then entering in
fury into the hearts of all? For indeed they made a pleasure of their
insults against Him, being a savage and ruthless set. I mean that, when
they ought to have been awestruck, when they ought to have wept, which
even the people did, this they did not, but, on the contrary, were
despiteful, and insolent; perhaps themselves also seeking to please the
Jews, or it may be doing all in conformity to their own evil
nature.

And the insults were different, and varied. For that
Divine Head at one time they buffeted, at another they insulted with
the crown of thorns, at another they smote with the reed, men unholy
and accursed!

What plea shall we have after this for being moved by
injuries, after Christ suffered these things? For what was done was the
utmost limit of insolence. For not one member, but the whole entire
body throughout was made an object of insolence; the head through the
crown, and the reed, and the buffeting; the face, being spit upon; the
cheeks, being smitten with the palms of the hands; the whole body by
the stripes, by being wrapped in the robe, and by the pretended
worship; the hand by the reed, which they gave him to hold instead of a
sceptre; the mouth again by the offering of the vinegar. What could be
more grievous than these things? What more insulting?

For the things that were done go beyond all language.
For as though they were afraid lest they should seem to fall short at
all in the crime, having killed the prophets with their own hands, but
this man with the sentence of a judge, so they do in every deed; and
make it the work of their own hands, and condemn and sentence both
among themselves and before Pilate, saying, “His blood be on us
and on our children,”30943094Matt.
xxvii. 25.and insult Him, and do despite unto Him themselves, binding Him,
leading Him away, and render themselves authors of the spiteful acts
done by the soldiers, and nail Him to the cross, and revile Him, and
spit at Him, and deride Him. For Pilate contributed nothing in this
matter, but they themselves did every thing, becoming accusers, and
judges, and executioners, and all.

And these things are read amongst us, when all meet
together. For that the heathens may not say, that ye display to people
and nations the things that are glorious and illustrious, such as the
signs and the miracles, but that ye hide these which are matters of
reproach; the grace of the Spirit hath brought it to pass, that in the
full festival, when men in multitude and women are present, and all, as
one may say, at the great eve of the passover, then all these things
should be read; when the whole world is present, then are all these
acts proclaimed with a clear voice. And these being read, and made
known to all, Christ is believed to be God and, besides all the rest,
is worshipped, even because of this, that He vouchsafed to stoop so
much for us as actually to suffer these things, and to teach us all
virtue.

These things then let us read continually; for indeed
great is the gain, great the advantage to be thence obtained. For when
thou seest Him, both by gestures and by deeds, mocked and worshipped
with so much derision, and beaten and suffering the utmost insults,
though thou be very stone, thou wilt become softer than any wax, and
wilt cast out of thy soul all haughtiness.

Hear therefore also what follows. For after “they
had mocked Him, they led Him to crucify Him,”30953095Matt.
xxvii. 31. [ἤγαγον for ἀπγαγον.]it is said, and when they had stripped Him, they took His garments, and
sat down and watched Him, when He should die. And they divide His
garments amongst them, which sort of thing is done in the case of very
vile and abject criminals, and such as have no one belonging to them,
and are in utter desolation.

They parted the garments, by which such great miracles
were done. But they wrought none now, Christ restraining His
unspeakable power. And this was no small addition of insult. For as to
one base and abject, as I said, and the vilest of all men; so do they
dare to do all things. To the thieves at any rate they did nothing of
the kind, but to Christ they dare it all. And they crucified Him in the
midst of them, that He might share in their reputation.

And they gave Him gall to drink, and this to insult Him,
but He would not. But another saith, that having tasted it, He said,
“It is finished.”30963096John xix.
30. And what meaneth, “It is finished?” The prophecy was
fulfilled concerning Him. “For they gave me,” it is said,
“gall for my meat, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to
drink.”30973097Ps. lxix.
21. But neither doth that evangelist indicate that He drank, for merely to
taste differs not from not drinking, but hath one and the same
signification.

But nevertheless not even here doth their contumely
stop, but after having stripped and crucified Him, and offered Him
vinegar, they proceeded still further, and beholding Him impaled upon
the cross, they revile Him, both they themselves and the passers by;
and this was more grievous than all, that on the charge of being an
impostor and deceiver He suffered these things, and as a boaster, and
vainly pretending what He said. Therefore they both crucified Him
publicly, that they might make a show of it in the sight of all; and
therefore also they did it by the hands of the soldiers, that these
things being perpetrated even by a public tribunal, the insult might be
the greater.

2. And yet who would not have been moved by the
multitude that was following Him, and lamenting Him? Nay, not these
wild beasts. Wherefore also He to the multitude vouchsafes an answer,
but to these men not so. For after having done what they would, they
endeavor also to injure His honor, fearing His resurrection. Therefore
they say these things publicly, and crucified thieves with Him, and
wishing to prove Him a deceiver, they say, “Thou that destroyest
the temple, and buildest it in three days come down from the
cross.”30983098Matt.
xxvii. 40. For since on telling Pilate to remove the accusation (this was the
writing, “The king of the Jews”), they prevailed not, but
he persevered in saying, “What I have written, I have
written,”30993099John xix.
22.they then endeavor by their derision of Him to show that He is not a
king.

Wherefore they said those things, and also these. If
“He is the king of Israel, let Him come down now from the cross.
He saved others, Himself He cannot save,”31003100Matt.
xxvii. 42.aiming hereby to bring discredit even on His former miracles. And
again, “If He be Son of God, and He will have Him, let Him save
Him.”31013101Matt.
xxvii. 43. [In the citations
from verses 40–43, the exact order is not preserved, but
the only textual variation is in the clause, “let Him save
Him,” which does not occur in the Gospels. “If” is
read, with the received text, in verse 42.—R.]

O execrable; most execrable! What, were not the prophets
prophets, nor the righteous men righteous, because God rescued them not
out of their dangers. Nay surely they were, though suffering these
things. What then could be equal to your folly? For if the coming of
the dangers upon them did not injure their honor with you, how much
more in the case of this man, was it wrong for you to be offended, when
both by what He did, by what He said, He was ever correcting beforehand
this suspicion of yours.

Yet nevertheless, even when these things were said and
done, they prevailed nothing, not even at the very time. At any rate,
he, who was depraved in such great wickedness, and who had spent his
whole life in murders and house-breakings, when these things were being
said, then confessed Him, and made mention of a kingdom, and the people
bewailed Him. And yet the things that were done seemed to testify the
contrary in the eyes of those who knew not the mysterious
dispensations, that He was weak and of no power, nevertheless truth
prevailed even by the contrary things.

Hearing then these things, let us arm ourselves against
all rage, against all anger. Shouldest thou perceive thy heart
swelling, seal thy breast setting upon it the cross. Call to mind some
one of the things that then took place, and thou wilt cast out as dust
all rage by the recollection of the things that were done. Consider the
words, the actions; consider that He is Lord, and thou servant. He is
suffering for thee, thou for thyself; He in behalf of them who had been
benefited by Him and had crucified Him, thou in behalf of thyself; He
in behalf of them who had used Him despitefully, thou oftentimes at the
hands of them who have been injured. He in the sight of the whole city,
or rather of the whole people of the Jews, both strangers, and those of
the country, before whom He spake those merciful words, but thou in the
presence of few; and what was more insulting to Him, that even His
disciples forsook Him. For those, who before paid Him attention, had
deserted Him, but His enemies and foes, having got Him in the midst of
themselves on the cross, insulted, reviled, mocked, derided, scoffed at
Him, Jews and soldiers from below, from above thieves on either side:
for indeed the thieves insulted, and upbraided Him both of them. How
then saith Luke that one “rebuked?”31023102Luke xxiii.
40. Both things were done, for at first both upbraided Him, but afterwards
one did so no more. For that thou mightest not think the thing had been
done by any agreement, or that the thief was not a thief, by his
insolence he showeth thee, that up on the cross he was a thief and an
enemy, and at once was changed.

Considering then all these things, control thyself. For
what sufferest thou like what thy Lord suffered? Wast thou publicly
insulted? But not like these things. Art thou mocked? yet not thy whole
body, not being thus scourged, and stripped. And even if thou wast
buffeted, yet not like this.

3. And add to this, I pray thee, by whom, and wherefore,
and when, and who it was; and (the most grievous matter) that these
things being done, no one found fault, no one blamed what was done, but
on the contrary all rather approved, and joined in mocking Him and in
jeering at Him; and as a boaster, impostor, and deceiver, and not able
to prove in His works the things that He said, so did they revile Him.
But He held His peace to all, preparing for us the most powerful
incentives to long suffering.

But we, though hearing such things, are not patient so
much as to servants, but we rush and kick worse than wild asses, with
respect to injuries against ourselves, being savage and inhuman; but of
those against God not making much account. And with
499
respect to friends too we have the same
disposition; should any one vex us, we bear it not; should he insult
us, we are savage more than wild beasts, we who are reading these
things every day. A disciple betrayed Him, the rest forsook Him and
fled, they that had been benefited by Him spat at Him, the servants of
the high priest smote Him with the palm of the hand, the soldiers
buffeted Him; they that passed by jeered Him and reviled Him, the
thieves accused Him; and to no man did He utter a word, but by silence
overcame all; instructing thee by His actions, that the more meekly
thou shalt endure, the more wilt thou prevail over them that do thee
evil, and wilt be an object of admiration before all. For who will not
admire him that endures with forbearance the insults he receives from
them that are using him despitefully? For even as, though any man
suffer justly, yet enduring the evil meekly, he is considered by the
more part to suffer unjustly; so though one suffer unjustly, yet if he
be violent, he will get the suspicion of suffering justly, and will be
an object of ridicule, as being dragged captive by his anger, and
losing his own nobility. For such a one, we must not call so much as a
freeman, though he be lord over ten thousand servants.

But did some person exceedingly provoke thee? And what
of that? For then should self-control be shown, since when there is no
one to vex, we see even the wild beasts gentle; for neither are they
always savage, but when any one rouses them. And we therefore, if we
are only then quiet, when there is no one provoking us, what advantage
have we over them. For they are both oftentimes justly indignant, and
have much excuse, for by being stirred and goaded are they roused, and
besides these things they are devoid of reason, and have savageness in
their nature.

But whence, I pray thee, canst thou find a plea for
being savage and fierce? What hardship hast thou suffered? Hast thou
been robbed? For this self-same reason shouldest thou endure it, so as
to gain more amply. But wast thou deprived of character? And what is
this? Thy condition is in no way worsened by this, if thou practise
self-command. But if thou sufferest no grievance, whence art thou angry
with him that hath done thee no harm, but hath even benefited thee? For
they who honor, make them that are not watchful the more vain; but they
who insult and despise render those that take heed to themselves more
steadfast. For the careless are more injured by being honored than by
being insulted. And the one set of persons, if we be sober, become to
us authors of self-control, but the others excite our pride, they fill
us with boastfulness, vainglory, folly, they make our soul the
feebler.

And to this fathers bear witness, who do not flatter
their own children so much as they chide them, fearing lest from the
praise they should receive any harm, and their teachers use the same
remedy to them. So that if we are to avoid any one, it should be those
that flatter us rather than those that insult us; for this bait brings
greater mischief than insult to them, who do not take heed, and it is
more difficult to control this feeling than that. And the reward too is
far more abundant from thence, and the admiration greater. For indeed
it is more worthy of admiration to see a man insulted, and not moved,
than beaten and smitten, and not falling.

And how is it possible not to be moved? one may say.
Hath any one insulted thee? Place the sign upon thy breast, call to
mind all the things that were then done; and all is quenched. Consider
not the insults only, but if also any good hath been ever done unto
thee, by him that hath insulted thee, and straightway thou wilt become
meek, or rather consider before all things the fear of God, and soon
thou wilt be mild and gentle.

4. Together with these things even from thine own
servants take a lesson concerning these matters; and when thou seest
thyself insulting, but thy servant holding his peace, consider that it
is possible to practise self-control, and condemn thyself for being
violent; and in the very time of offering insults learn not to insult;
and thus not even when insulted, wilt thou be vexed. Consider that he
who is insolent is beside himself and mad, and thou wilt not feel
indignant, when insulted, since the possessed strike us, and we, so far
from being provoked, do rather pity them. This do thou also; pity him
that is insolent to thee, for he is held in subjection by a dreadful
monster, rage, by a grievous demon, anger. Set him free as he is
wrought upon by a grievous demon, and going quickly to ruin. For so
great is this disease as not to need even time for the destruction of
him that is seized with it. Wherefore also one said, “The sway of
his fury shall be his fall;”31033103Ecclus. i. 22.by this most of all showing its tyranny, that in a short time it works
great ills, and needs not to continue long with us, so that if in
addition to its strength it were apt to last, it would indeed be hard
to strive against.

I should like to show what the man is who insulteth,
what he that practises self-control, and to bring nakedly before you
the soul of
500
the one and the other.
For thou shouldest see the one like a sea tost with a tempest, but the
other like a harbor free from disturbance. For it is not disturbed by
these evil blasts, but puts them to rest easily. For indeed they who
are insulting, do everything in order to make it sting. When then they
fail of that hope, even they are thenceforth at peace, and go away
amended. For it is impossible that a man, who is angry, should not
utterly condemn himself, even as on the other hand it is impossible for
one who is not angry to be self-condemned. For though it be necessary
to retaliate, it is possible to do this without anger (and it were more
easy and more wise than with anger) and to have no painful feeling. For
if we be willing, the good things will be from ourselves, and we shall
be with the grace of God sufficient for our own safety and honor.

For why seekest thou the glory that cometh from another?
Do thou honor thyself, and no one will be able to insult thee; but if
thou dishonor thyself, though all should honor thee, thou wilt not be
honored. For like as, unless we put ourselves in an evil state, no one
else puts us in such a state; even so unless we insult ourselves, no
one else can put us to shame.

For let any man be great and worthy of admiration, and
let all men call him an adulterer, a thief, a violater of tombs, a
murderer, a robber, and let him be neither provoked or indignant, nor
be conscious to himself of any of these crimes, what disgrace will he
thence undergo? None. What then, you may say, if many have such an
opinion of him? Not even so is he disgraced, but they bring shame upon
themselves, by accounting one, who is not such, to be such. For tell
me, if any one think the sun to be dark, doth he bring an ill name on
that heavenly body, or on himself? Surely on himself, getting himself
the character of being blind or mad. So also they that account wicked
men good, and they that make the opposite error, disgrace
themselves.

Wherefore we ought to give the greater diligence, to
keep our conscience clear, and to give no handle against ourselves, nor
matter for evil suspicion; but if others will be mad, even when this is
our disposition, not to care very much, nor to grieve. For he that hath
got the character of a wicked man, being a good man, is in no degree
thereby hurt as regards his being such as he is; but he that hath been
suspecting another vainly and causelessly, receives the utmost harm;
as, on the other hand, the wicked man, if he be supposed to be the
contrary, will gain nothing thence, but will both have a heavier
judgment, and be led into greater carelessness. For he that is such and
is suspected thereof, may perhaps be humbled, and acknowledge his sins;
but when he escapes detection, he falls into a state past feeling. For
if, while all are accusing them, offenders are hardly stirred up to
compunction, when so far from accusing them, some even praise them, at
what time will they who are living in vice be able to open their eyes?
Hearest thou that Paul also blames for this, that the Corinthians (so
far from permitting him that had been guilty of fornication, to
acknowledge his own sin), applauding and honoring him, did on the
contrary urge him on in vice thereby? Wherefore, I pray, let us leave
the suspicions of the multitude, their insults and their honors, and
let us be diligent about one thing only, that we be conscious to
ourselves of no evil thing, nor insult our own selves. For so both
here, and in the world to come, we shall enjoy much glory, unto which
God grant we all may attain, by the grace and love towards man of our
Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory world without end. Amen.

3101Matt.
xxvii. 43. [In the citations
from verses 40–43, the exact order is not preserved, but
the only textual variation is in the clause, “let Him save
Him,” which does not occur in the Gospels. “If” is
read, with the received text, in verse 42.—R.]